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Wednesday, 18 June 2014

Agronomist Career Opportunity at One Acre Fund in Tanzania

Job Title: Agronomist

Employer: One Acre Fund

Duty Station: Iringa, Tanzania

Application Deadline: 11th July 2014

Job Description:

One Acre Fund is an primarily agricultural organization dealing with maize, sunflower, and many other agronomic crops. We are seeking a talented individual to run trials on a variety of crops and methods, consult farmers and staff on agronomic issues, and to assist with training development of thousands of farm families across Southern Tanzania
At One Acre Fund we value innovation and hard work. First and foremost we are seeking someone who is very knowledgeable about agronomic crop production in Tanzania, specifically maize production. We are also seeking someone who is interested in developing creative solutions to agricultural issues facing our farmers. This position includes the management of large nurseries and numerous staff. A successful candidate must be management oriented with leadership experience.
This position also includes data collection that will undergo strenuous validation. Attention to detail and accuracy are very important. A successful candidate should have some experience crop research, academic or professional. Data collection and office communication will be done electronically and basic understanding of email, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel would be highly valued.
This position will be working with both Tanzanian and international staffers. English proficiency in mandatory, as well as flexibility and understanding for minor cross cultural differences.

Duties and Responsibilities:

•Nursery Trial Management- Propose, plan and execute agricultural trials. This position comes with the responsibility to report the results of products and methods that could boost incomes for thousands of families. The agronomist will be responsible for hiring and managing nursery labor. Nursery guidance will come from a senior manager, but will largely be an independent project.
•Farmer level trials- The Agronomist position will also have the responsibility of organizing and consulting on farmer level trials to test the practicality of new products or methods
•Crop Calendaring and Training development- The Agronomist will work closely with senior level staff to consult on the timing of agricultural practices to produce the highest return on farmer investment. This position will also consult staff on farmer level trainings to ensure the best practices for our farmers
•Crop Consultation- The agronomist position will also have the responsibility of directly interacting with farmers to discuss the status of their crops and scout for any potential issues
•If you have skills or experiences in these areas, please highlight them on your cover letter and resume.

Career Growth and Development

One Acre Fund invests in building management and leadership capacity. We provide constant, actionable feedback delivered through weekly mentorship and regular career reviews. We also have regular one-on-one meetings where we listen to and discuss career goals, and work collaboratively to craft roles that each person can be passionate about.

Qualifications:

•Passionate about serving smallholder farmers
•Degree in Agronomy or similar plant science field
•Language: fluent in English and Kiswahili, ability to speak local languages.
•Demonstrated basic computer skills, including typing and email
•Clear communicator in-person and on the phone
•Proactive problem solver
•Integrity and a positive attitude
•Demonstrates high-quality work with a strong attention to detail
•Willingness to commit to living in rural Tanzania for a long-term position
•Independent worker with strong ability to manage own schedule and tasks
•Confident communicator who is comfortable talking with many people on a variety of topics
•Ability to work as part of a larger team

Desired:

•Language: conversational in Kihehe
•Leadership experience at work, or outside of work
•Proven ability to set and meet targets on the job
•Advanced computer skills, specifically excel
•Writing experience

Career development:

Twice annual career reviews and constant feedback. Your manager will invest significant time in your career development.

Timeline: Resumes should be submitted by Friday July 11th we will begin interviews starting in June and are planning on a start date no later than August 25th.